Every week there are 164 nose jobs, 37 liposuction procedures, 22 facelifts and 273 breast reshaping operations being carried out by the NHS.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said recently that the NHS should only fund cosmetic surgery when there is a clear clinical need and if someone’s physical and mental health could be at risk without it. It is unclear, from the figures supplied by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, what proportion of the procedures met these criteria. The data do not distinguish between procedures carried out for cosmetic and non-cosmetic reasons.

Earlier this year a survey found that a quarter of patients who have had cosmetic surgery procedures had lied to secure funding. Many claimed to have low self-esteem or depression as a result of the way they looked, according to research by a firm of medical negligence solicitors.

Figures obtained by the Mail show the NHS in 2012-13 carried out 1,137 facelifts – up 111 per cent in a decade. Facelifts cost between £4,000 and £7,500 each according to the NHS Choices website, meaning that up to £8.5 million was spent on the operations in 2012-13.

The number of breast enlargements has soared by 145 per cent in a decade to 10,504, costing up to £52.5 million.

Many of these will be reconstructions following cancer treatment but the increase far outstrips any rise in breast cancer diagnoses.

The obesity epidemic has also boosted the surgery bill with the number of liposuction operations in 2012-13 standing at 1,926 – up 40 per cent in 10 years.

The cost in the most recent year will have been up to £9.6 million according to NHS Choices which says the operation costs between £1,500 to £5000. There has also been a 39 per cent rise in the number undergoing eyelid surgery to 4,966 – costing up to £19.9 million. This operation is supposed to be carried out when vision is impaired.

And 8,537 nose jobs were carried out in 2013-14 – up 4 per cent and costing £34.1 million.

Jonathan Isaby of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s ludicrous that the NHS pays for procedures that are not based on strict medical needs.”

The figures showed that up to £20.3 million was spent on breast reduction operations, £5.8 million on tummy tucks and £5.7 million on ear pinning.